Man's early attempts to colonize and personalize space

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT -I

LECTURE-2

Man's early attempts to colonize and personalize space….

1st Semester B .Arch, August - December 2013

PART ONE

RECAPITULATIONOF

LECTURE 1


RECAPITULATION- HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT -I

METHODOLOGY OF STUDY / ANALYSIS

WHO + WHERE+WHEN -- This refer to the people who built the building / site / town

being studied. This aspect refers also to the socio-cultural conditions -- which age, how

the people lived, their beliefs, how far was technology developed, etc.

WHY -- The reason for building or the function for which the structure / town was built

WHAT -- The physical form of the structure / town

HOW -- The method (technology) used -- which material, which construction method,

which structural system


WHAT IS HISTORY?The study of past eventsThese include not justwritten documents, but alsothrough objects such asbuildings, artifacts andpaintings.

WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE ?

The art or practice of designing and constructing buildingsThe style in which a building is designed and constructed,especially with regard to a specific period, place, Or Culture:

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT ?The setting or condition in which a particular activity is carried on.


HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

Traces the changes inDesign of variousbuilding types &functions , Structure,Construction methodsand otherarchitecturalelements

Through

Various Traditions,Regions, Stylistictrends…from ThePrimitive Phases tillthe present day.

Traces the changes in Design of various building types & functions

Traces the changes in Structures


HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

Traces the changes inDesign of variousbuilding types &functions , Structure,Construction methodsand otherarchitecturalelements

Through

Various Traditions,Regions, Stylistictrends…from ThePrimitive Phases tillthe present day.

Traces the changes in Construction Methods

Traces the changes in other architectural elements


HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE&

BUILTENVIRONMENTS

Group of

BUILDINGS Includes a

Therefore we must understand that history of architecturedoesn’t end with the single building or element but includes thesurroundings as well…

RECAPITULATION- BEGINNING OF HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

They sheltered in caves

PROTECTION

WATERThey learnt to make containers that can store water

FOOD

They learnt to farm the land

They learnt to shape stones into tools or weapons

They learnt to take care of animals

In Neolithic people became SEDENTARY

RECAPITULATION- BEGINNING OF HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

• World population grew

• People began to grow more

food than they would need –

allowed people to do things

other than farming

• Trade increased

• Establishment of Towns/Cities

• Cities become centers of trade,

politics and culture

• Men became superior

• Formalized religion

Ceremonies, rituals, and

worship

Built large temples

Changes in society..

• Based on occupations,

wealth, and influence

– rulers, priests, and

nobles

– merchants and

artisans

– farmers and unskilled

workers – majority

– slaves

Social classes .. Organized Government

• Projects need

planning-decision

making

• created laws

• established

systems of justice

• supervised food

production and

building projects

• gathered taxes

• organized defense

NEED TO STUDY HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE & BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

To locate our self , that we are not individual, we are connected tothe entire world.

Experience from the past , largely influence today's decision.

We get to know that each era since the beginning of time formed itsown unique style ..

Every action is sequel to another , so without studying past we cantmove further..

Thus we need to study about our past and to know how

change has happens through time

Unit-I

• Definition and scope of Architecture. Interdependence of various components of the builtenvironment. Need for a holistic approach.

• Man’s early/prehistoric attempts to colonise and personalize space. Examples ofearly shelters, Stonehenge, tumuli, etc. as expression of man’s physical andspiritual needs

• Determinants of Built Form - geo-physical, societal, political and technological, etc.Global examples of vernacular architecture.

• Introduction to the River Valley Civilizations. Comparative study of differentmanifestations with reference to location, materials and techniques, socio-culturalinfluences and other contextual factors

Unit-II

• Egyptian Civilization: Concept of the Royal Necropolis, locational context and architecturalcharacteristics of public buildings, e.g. mastabas, pyramids and temples(rock-cut &structural) -one example of each type to be chosen. Worker’s settlement- city of Kahun.

• Mesopotamian Civilization; the urban context and architecture of public buildings(ziggurats and palaces). Examples of the city and Ziggurat of Ur, city and palace and ofKhorsabad.

Unit-III

• Indus Valley Civilization: Form of the Harappan City, location and role of public buildings.• Architecture of the typical Harappan dwelling, Granary and Bath.• The Vedic Village, Building typology and construction


PART -2

Man's early attempts to colonize and personalize space….

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ‘COLONIZE’ ?

According to man’s need -- how he moulds and how he starts to inhabit space"to inhabit”

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ‘PERSONALIZE’ ?

Personal needs , Someone's individual requirementsModify spaces as per personal requirements

How Man starts inhabitation and modifies space as per his needs…

Examples : Caves of Lascaux, France

Lascaux Caves is the world's most

famous prehistoric cave located in

France.

Discovered in 1940 , there is a series

of spaces which displays vast amounts

of imagery paintings by Paleolithic

(Stone Age) humans.

Dated around 10,000 BC, the beautiful

paintings on cave walls represent the

earliest surviving examples of the

artistic expression of early people.

MAN'S EARLY ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE AND PERSONALIZE SPACE….

Using the natural rock contours, these 'primitive' people of the Paleolithic (OldStone Age) painted accurate representations of the animals that were such animportant part of their lives.


Cows, bulls, horses, bison, and deer are among the animals seen on the walls ofthese caves.

'HALL OF BULLS,' Cave Painting from Lascaux, France



Through sympathetic magic, perhaps these early humans believed that by drawing theseimages, they would increase hunting luck.Another theory is that it was believed that man had to paint these images to 'replace' theanimals that he would hunt and kill.

the belief that the ritual shooting of the


Examples : Bhimbetka Caves , M.P., India

Bhimbetka owes its name to the characters of the longest epic inthe world, the Mahabharata. It is believed that when the fivebrothers, called Pandavas, were banished from their kingdom,they came here and stayed in these caves. These caves werediscovered and revealed in 1957 ,are 15,000 year old.


Since these caves actually formed dwellings for primitive people belonging to various ages, thepaintings here demonstrate their lifestyle and everyday activities.

These are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge figures of animals, such as bison's and boar beside stick like human figures.

In addition to animals, there are human figures and hunting scenes giving a clear picture of the weapons used in those timesFantastic animal seeming to chasing a manWhite dancers in a row


Other examples :

Chauvet caves France (12,000 years old )

Altamira caves Spain 10,000 years old

World heritage sites

Prehistoric people believed that all natural objects, including living creatures,had a soul or spirit, which existed separately and independently of its physicalbeing.

BELIEF IN SUPER NATURAL POWERS….

It was this force, controlled the activities of the natural world.

The natural events such as wind, storms, the transition from day to night, could beattributed to the actions of the spirits.Prehistoric communities firstly revered and then later worshipped these spirits, becausethe natural phenomena which these spirits produced were often so impressive andcompletely beyond normal human capacities.Prehistoric people began to worship these spirits as these natural phenomena's affectedtheir day-to-day life.


Religion did not begin simply as a result of prehistoric people observing theawe-inspiring might of the natural world.


When primitive people dreamt about people or animals that had already diedthey may have formed the idea that these dead people had spirits, otherwisethese dead people or animals would not have come to them in dreams.

This belief in the spirits of the departed led to an awareness of the presence ofspirits in all aspects of the natural world.

After observing the power of the natural forces, an additional element wasrequired :

that is

Awareness by prehistoric people of the existence of "animae" which cameabout as a result of witnessing events such as death and dreams.


Worship spirits - So they need to give a physical expression to all beliefs

Expressions of beliefs - Translate into architectural form

RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES….

MENHIRS: Stones set vertically into the ground (one third below the surface andtwo thirds above) ranging in height from a few centimeters to several meters

Menhirs , are an even stranger constructs since they are designednot only to bury the dead, but also to help us remember wherethey were buried long after they are gone.


DOLMENS : Also known as stone tables, these typically consist of two verticalstones set in the ground supporting a horizontal stone balanced across them.

These were burial places. Some have been found buried under ground and fullof human remains (up to 70 people in one dolmen), others are standing in thelandscape and are empty.


TUMULUS : Is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves.


Religious structures to respect the dead

Stonehenge is a monumental circularsetting of large standing stonessurrounded by a circular earthwork,built in prehistoric times beginningabout 3100 BC .

RESPECT THE SUPER NATURAL POWERS - STONEHENGE ….

STONEHENGE

HENGEThe word henge refers to aparticular type of earthwork of theNeolithic period, roughly circular oroval-shaped flat area over 20m indiameter which is enclosed andsurrounded by a boundaryearthwork that usually comprises aditch with an external bank.

RESPECT THE SUPER NATURAL POWERS - ‘STONEHENGE’ ….

There are several such example, hengebeing the most complex, best known,best preserved.

The three aligned henges of theThornborough Henges complex,yorkshire

RESPECT THE SUPER NATURAL POWERS - ‘STONEHENGE’ ….

Avebury stone henge - is a Neolithic henge monument containing three stone circles


STONEHENGE, SALISBURY

Located about 13 km (8 miles)north of Salisbury, Wiltshire,Eng.

Stonehenge has been subjected to many theories about its origin:

A place of worship of some kind.


Religious and ritual ceremonies ..

The northeast axis aligned with the sunrise at the summer solstice,leading other scholars to speculate that the builders were sun worshipers.


One of its functions was the determination of the summer solstice date using the summersolstice sunrise. At the 21st of June the rising sun in the North East shines its light inbetween the Heel Stone onto the Alter Stone at the center of the Trilithons or horseshoe ofStonehenge.

It is an established fact that Stonehenge was an astronomical observatory.


Archaeologists have found numerous cremation burials dating to this time and thecenturies that followed.Ritualized funerary procession for treating the dead,


STAGE I: EARTHWORK

The first stage, The earthwork monument, had no stones involved.

The native Neolithicpeople, excavated aroughly circular ditchabout 98 m (320 feet) indiameter; the ditch wasabout 6 m (20 feet) wideand 1.4 to 2 m (4.5 to 7feet) deep, and theexcavated rubble wasused to build the highbank within the circularditch.

Archaeological excavations since 1950 suggest three main periods of building--Stonehenge I, II, and III, the last divided into phases.

STONEHENGE … EVOLUTION OF DESIGN

Circular ditch

Bank around ditch

STAGE I: EARTHWORK


They also erected two

parallel entry stones on the

northeast of the circle (one

of which, the Slaughter

Stone, still survives).



N

S

EW

Slaughter stone

STAGE I: EARTHWORK



Inside the bank, fifty-six

varying Aubrey holes were

dug . Dark deposits suggest

the holes once held timber

posts, which were either

deliberately burnt or taken

away


STAGE II:

During Stonehenge II, about 2100 BC, the complex was radically remodeled. About 80bluestone pillars, weighing up to 4 tons each, were erected in the center of the site.


Bluestonepillars

The entrance way of this earliest setting of bluestones was aligned approximately upon the sunrise at the summer solstice, the alignment being continued by a newly built and widened approach, called the Avenue, together with a pair of Heel stones.

The initial phase of Stonehenge III, starting about 2000 BC, saw the erection of thelinteled circle of Sarsen stones

STAGE III:

Linteled circleOf Sarsen stones

Horseshoe five great trilithons

and horseshoe shape five great trilithons , each of which Consisted of a pair of large stone uprights supporting a stone lintel. In the focus of the trilithon horseshoe is a large flat stone known as the Altar Stone

Altar Stone


The remaining unshaped 60-odd bluestones were set as a circle of pillars within the sarsen circle (but outside the sarsen horseshoe).


Bluestones6 in no.

Two small stones, the Station Stones,and two low mounds, the North andSouth Barrows, are located near theinner edge of the bank from the firststage. It is believed that there used tobe two more Station Stones within theNorth and South Barrows (Souden).


STONEHENGE … EVOLUTION OF DESIGN( construction method )


This Awe-inspiring creation getting lost in the mists of time. Was Stonehenge a temple for sunworship, a healing centre, a burial site or perhaps a huge calendar.. How did our ancestors manage tocarry the mighty stones , using only the most primitive of tools, build this amazing structure..Surrounded by mystery, Stonehenge never fails to impress.

Man's early attempts to colonize and personalize space

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